The internet has brought forth a wealth of exciting technologies and developments, but in my opinion, one of the most incredible has to be the humble web camera. Usually abbreviated to web cam, these small devices which can cost about the same as a mouse, are capable of broadcasting quite good quality images or video across the internet for anyone interested to see. We don’t need to rely on photographs or the printed word to understand what a country looks like, or what it’s weather is like – within a few seconds I can be looking at a live video image of almost anywhere in the world I have an interest in.
Overseas property investors have always been faced with a dilemma, even before they have chosen the country they would like to invest in. Some people will go simply for the more traditional locations, such as Spain, or places they have been to themselves personally before. This has the advantage that they know the country, and know what it is like – but what if you are considering investing in those countries that are only just beginning to be considered suitable investment locations? You can’t visit them all very easily, and if you rely on glossy leaflets and websites you’re left wondering whether the photo has been spruced up a little, or taken on one of the hottest and most amazing summer days they’ve ever had.
Overseas investors may seem to flit their attention from one country to another, from one continent to another, and the world suddenly seems a very small place indeed. Even those people who plan to go on holiday no longer seem as content with traditional resorts but instead turn their attention to little known locations that are less populated. We live in a world that is shrinking as a result of global technology, global business, cheap travel and online booking arrangements. We hardly have to leave the house to organise a trip to the other side of the world, yet there are still the miles to consider, and visiting several countries is still going to take time.
This of course is where web cams come into their own, and provide a wonderful alternative to travelling thousands of miles just to see a place for yourself. Whether you are looking at investing in property in a particular location, or going on holiday there, being able to watch a live video from that location means that you can see for yourself what it’s really like, and not just rely on leaflets and pictures which may have been spruced up a bit.
There is something to be said for being able to peer through the fog and gloom of a winter at home, or through the window at work, and then with just a couple of clicks, admire the warm sun and crashing waves of the place you’d rather be. Possibly you’ll be able to admire the very same view you saw on holiday yourself, or will be shortly, or it could even be the view from your very own property, if you own somewhere abroad yourself.
Of course, there’s another advantage to having these web cams, whether they’re your own, or set up by businesses or private individuals in the area, and that is that they are fantastic for publicity and advertising. If you have purchased property abroad, and you intend to let this out, one of the biggest problems you face is trying to persuade people to come, that the location is fantastic, and that they’ll love it. This is especially true if you’ve chosen somewhere less well known. Having access to a web cam allows you to direct potential customers to it to allow them to see for themselves.
Besides being excellent selling points, web cams also have the added benefit of helping to increase the security of your property whilst you are away. If you have a web cam overlooking your property, or even facing into the building itself, then you have the ability to observe it at any time, wherever you happen to be. With the majority of cameras coming with the ability to video only if they detect movement, these represent cheap but effective security features, although obviously if you do let the building out, your residents will need you to remove these cameras for their own dignity and privacy.
It still seems incredible to me now that, as I sit here with the wind buffeting my window, the rain half heartedly smearing my view of the grey skies, my monitor is happily displaying live video from Javea, with white topped waves chasing one another gaily across the golden sands that stretch for miles, watched over by the distant mountains and an endless sky which seems to challenge my idea of blue. With live video fed to me from anywhere in the world, and virtual tours of properties across the globe, what does the future of technology hold for us, to make the next continent just that little bit closer?
